The audience knows him mostly as an actor in films like the mystery drama Quo Vadis, Baby? and popular Italian TV series like Don Matteo and Inspector Ricciardi. But for the International Gastronomy Film Festival, born in 2025 from festival founder Gülper Ergün’s wish to bridge different cultures, cities, and countries via food and stories, Ferdinando Maddaloni stepped up as Artistic Director. Informed by his own multidisciplinary experience in film, he curates the short films competing for the main awards. On site in Çeşme, where the festival moved after its premiere edition in Urla, Maddaloni spoke with Lidanoir about his hope for movie theaters dedicated solely to short films, bringing film and food together, and the political side of both.

In der finalen Episode aus Cannes sprechen Lida, Jakob und Patrick über Valeska Grisebachs mit dem Preis der Jury ausgezeichneten "Das geträumte Abenteuer". Sie kommen überdies noch auf ein paar Favoriten zu sprechen, darunter Marine Atlans "La Gradiva" etwa, der den Preis der Semaine de la Critique mit nach Hause nahm, Bruno Dumonts "Red Rocks", Quentin Dupieux' skurriler "Le Vertige" sowie den neuen filmischen Tagebuch-Eintrag des französischen Altmeisters Alain Cavalier, "Merci d'être venu".

Zum Schluss lässt sich das Trio noch etwas über "La bola negra" von 'Los Javis' aus, bevor die drei, mit nie zuvor dagewesener Präzision, den "Palme d'Or-Gewinner korrekt vorausahnen.

Danke an alle fürs Zuhören, und bis nächstes Jahr an der Croisette!

His multidimensional works centering on the experience of the African diaspora established Alain Gomis as a leading voice of contemporary independent cinema. After winning the Berlinale Silver Bear for his sensitive drama Félicité, the French-Senegalese director has returned to the festival’s competition with his 2012 existentialist study Today, and his latest feature Dao. Moving between documentary and fiction, the experimental exploration of heritage, cultural identity, and belonging takes its group of French-Guinea-Bissauan protagonists on a transformative journey to the country of their ancestors and back to a French wedding. For the cinematic release of Dao, Alain Gomis spoke with Lidanoir about the personal origin of the film project, real emotions in fictional settings, the importance of representation, and why Europe’s cinematic image of African countries is stuck in the past.

In der siebten Episode von Cannes geht es für Lida, Jakob und Patrick allmählich in den Endspurt. Darin spricht das Trio über Her Private Hell, Nicolas Winding Refns' langersehnte Rückkehr auf die große Leinwand. Für viel Begeisterung sorgt die Österreicherin Sandra Wollner mit ihrem dritten Spielfilm Everytime, der nach der Aufnahme der Episode zurecht den Hauptpreis der Un Certain Regard"-Nebensektion erhielt. Und schließlich wissen die drei auch vielerlei Positives über Emmanuel Marres Familienaufarbeitung Notre Salut zu berichten.

In der sechsten Episode sprechen Lida, Jakob und Patrick über James Grays Paper Tiger, mit dem der Amerikaner zum sechsten Mal im Wettbewerb von Cannes vertreten ist. Darüber hinaus spricht das Trio, noch im Unwissen, über Christian Mungius Palme-d'Or-Gewinner Fjord und über Arthur Hararis Body-Switch-Film The Unknown.

After screening his films at Karlovy Vary, Raindance, and Visions du Réel, Viesturs Kairišs now arrives at Cannes with his daring portrait of an iconic figure, both of his Latvian home country and the history of sport. Ulya tells of the youth and professional ascent of basketball player Uljana Semjonova, whose records remain unmatched. At the Palais des Festivals, where his feature just premiered in the Un Certain Regard section, the Latvian director talks with Lidanoir about meeting Semjonova, his controversial casting choice, and the themes of gender and trans identity mirrored in the mise-en-scène.

Cannes is for her a well-acquainted sphere where she has presented more than half a dozen films. Most prominently, Portrait of a Lady on Fire drew international attention to her subtlety and depth. Now, Noémie Merlant is back with a work as fierce and fabulous as it is funny. Bertrand Mandico’s Roma Elastica, screening in the Midnight Movies slate, follows a fading star and her affectionate assistant on a journey into vintage Italian cinema and increasingly surreal territory. After the premiere the previous night, the French actress spoke with Lidanoir about her close friendship with co-star Marion Cotillard, the importance of queer cinema, and how her film’s themes of sexism and ageism in the film industry reflect on the present.

From big budget productions like Pixar's WALL-E and the mainstream animation success Asterix Louis Clichy went on his own artistic journey. It lead the French filmmaker to the 79th Cannes Film Festival where his feature film debut holds a prominent place as the only animated film in the prestigious Un Certain Regard section. In dreamy watercolors, Iron Boy imagines the coming-of-age of 10-year-old Christophe, suffering rom severe skoliosis, who struggles with medical and familiar restraints. On the rooftop terrasse just across from the Palais du Cinema, Clichy spoke about the story's connection to his own childhood, why he chose aquarell and 2D over CGI images, and the downside of lavish studio productions.

From her early writing collaborations for the Oscar-nominated drama Mustang over her acclaimed directing debut Augustine to her last feature film Couture - an empathic look at intersecting lives in the fashion world - Alice Winocour proved once more her creative range as both a screenwriter and director. From daring independent films to star-studded productions, from empathic look at intersecting lives in the fashion world, she established herself as an equally versatile and skilled rising talent of contemporary European cinema. At the Directors Fortnight of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, the French filmmaker spoke with Lidanoir about here work process and inspirations, the importance of representation of female directors, and why her next film with take a foray into the horror genre.

After showing his decisive films at Locarno, the Berlinale, and Toronto, Radu Jude has now made the leap to Cannes. Here the Romanian director once again proves his knack for scathing social satire with The Diary of a Chambermaid. Loosely based on Octave Mirbeau’s famed novel, the biting comedy screening in the Directors’ Fortnight highlights the struggles of a Romanian domestic help and the exploitative economic power structures of the EU’s globalized job market. On site in Cannes, Radu Jude discusses his personal experiences shaping the story, using non-traditional techniques to create his films, his shifting focus on classic sources, and more.